Hortipes aelurisiepae
| Ingwavuma basket-legged spider | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Corinnidae |
| Genus: | Hortipes |
| Species: | H. aelurisiepae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hortipes aelurisiepae Bosselaers & Jocqué, 2000[1]
| |
Hortipes aelurisiepae is a species of spider in the family Corinnidae.[1] It is endemic to southern Africa and is commonly known as the Ingwavuma basket-legged spider.[2]
Distribution
Hortipes aelurisiepae occurs in Mozambique and South Africa.[1] In South Africa, it is known only from KwaZulu-Natal province, where it has been recorded from Ingwavuma, iSimangaliso Wetland Park (including Sodwana Bay National Park), Ndumo Game Reserve, and Tembe Elephant Park.[2]
Habitat and ecology
The species inhabits Forest, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 30 to 646 m above sea level.[2] These small free-running spiders are found in forest areas and humus, where they live among leaf litter.[2]
Description
Hortipes aelurisiepae is a small spider known only from females.[2]
Conservation
Hortipes aelurisiepae is listed as Least Concern by the South African National Biodiversity Institute due to its wide geographical range in southern Africa.[2] The species is protected in three protected areas and faces no significant known threats.[2]
Taxonomy
The species was first described by Bosselaers and Jocqué in 2000.[3] There is uncertainty about the taxonomic status of this species, as it was collected together with males of Hortipes griswoldi at Ndumo Game Reserve, suggesting the two species might be synonyms.[2]
References
- ^ a b c "Hortipes aelurisiepae Bosselaers & Jocqué, 2000". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Haddad, C.R.; Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2023). The Corinnidae of South Africa. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 40. doi:10.5281/zenodo.8300753. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
- ^ Bosselaers, J.; Jocqué, R. (2000). "Hortipes, a huge genus of tiny Afrotropical spiders (Araneae, Liocranidae)". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 256: 1–108. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2000)256<0004:HAHGOT>2.0.CO;2.